Combined garment-box and wardrobe.



F. W. RUTLEDGE.

COMBINED GARMENT ox/m0 WARDROBE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-.6. I915.

- Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

FLOYD W. RUTLEDGE, OF FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

COMBINED GARMENT-BOX AND WARDROBE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Application filed Apri1 6, 1915. Serial No. 19,525.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLoYo IV. RUTLEDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Florence, in the county of Florence and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Garment-Boxes and lVardrobes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined garment boxes and wardrobes, and has as its object to provide a garment box of that type employed by tailors in packing garments for delivery to their customers, which box shall be so constructed as to permit of its being made use of, by the purchaser of the garments, as a portable wardrobe.

It is the aim of the invention to provide a box of the type above mentioned having corresponding walls of its body and cover constructed for the association therewith of the handle or suspension member of a coat hanger, the hanger then serving not only as a means for supporting a coat or other garment within the box but also as a suspension means for the box itself.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical front to rear sectional view therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper end of the cover of the device.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The body of the device is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and resembles in its construction the body of an ordinary suit box. The cover for the box is indicated in general by the numeral 2 and this cover also resembles the cover of an ordinary suit box.

In carrying out the present invention, one end wall of the body 1 or, more specifically,

that end wall which is to constitute the top of the device when the device is in use as a portable wardrobe, and which wall is inclicated by the numeral 3, is formed with a slot 4 which extends transversely and parallel to the edge of the said wall 3. The cover 2 has its wall which corresponds to the wall 3 and which wall is indicated by the numeral 5, formed with a notch or open slot 6 which extends inwardly from the edge of the said wall and at its inner end terminates short of that wall of the cover which constitutes the top when the device is in use as a box or which constitutes the front when the device is in use as a wardrobe. The numeral 7 indicates the body of an ordinary coat hanger and 8 the suspension element or handle thereof. This hanger may be of any desired construction and in itself constitutes no part of the present invention and may be either furnished with the box or supplied by the purchaser of the garments. In employing the device as a portable wardrobe, the garment or garments to be protected are hung upon the body of the hanger? and the suspension element or handle 8 of the hanger is then inserted through the slot e in the body 1. After the garment has been thus disposed within the body 1 of the device, the cover is fitted onto the body with the notch or open slot 6 receiving the suspension element 8 of the garment hanger. In thus assembling the parts of the device and arranging the garment therewithin, the suspension element 8 of the hanger enters the slot or notch 4 in the wall 3 of the body. When the parts have been arranged, as stated above, the suspension element 8 of the hanger may be engaged with a hook or nail in the manner shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and the box, as well as the garments, will be supported by the said hanger.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the cover may be removed at any time and the garment or garments may be removed from or hung upon the hanger 7, and this may be accomplished without disengaging the suspension element of the hanger from the hook or the nail by which it is supported. It will furthermore be apparent that, inasmuch as the slot 6 extends transversely of the inner end of the slot 4, both slots are closed, except at the point of engagement of the suspension element of the garment hanger therethrough, and dust is prevented from entering the box through the said slots. If desired several of the garment hangers may be employed in connection with a single one of the boxes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an article of the class described, a body member, a cover member telescopically removably fitted thereto, the said body member being provided in one wall with a slot extending longitudinally of the said wall and the said cover member being provided in its corresponding wall with a slot extending inwardly substantially at right angles from the free edge of the said wall, the last-mentioned slot when the cover member is in place upon the body member extending Sacross the first-mentioned slot, and a garment hanger positioned within the body member and having a suspension element extending upwardly through the slots at their point of intersection.

2. In an article of the class described, a

body member, a cover member, the upper wall of the body member being formed with a slot extending longitudinally thereof and closed on all sides, a garment hanger posi- 5 tioned within the body member and having a suspension shank extending upwardly through the said slot and provided with an engaging hook movable through the slot when positioned parallel to the length thereo of, the upper wall of the cover member being formed with a slot extending substantially at right angles to the first-mentioned slot when the cover is telescopically fitted to the body member, the said slot in the 5 cover member opening at the tree. edge'ot' the said wall of the cover member and receiving the said shank of the garment hanger.

00pm; at this patent may be obtained for 3. In an article of the class described, a bodymember, a cover member telescopically removably fitted thereto, the said body member being provided in one wall with a slot extending parallel to the edge of the said wall at the open side of the said body memher, the said cover member being provided in its corresponding wall with a slot extending inwardly at right angles from the edge of the said wall at the open side of the said cover member, the said last mentioned slot terminating short of the opposite edge of the said wall and the said last mentioned slot being arranged to intersect the first mentioned slot when the cover member is in place upon the body member, and a garment hanger arranged within the said body and having a suspension shank extending upwardly through the first mentioned slot and received within the second mentioned slot when the cover member is in place upon the body member.

In testimony whereof I a liix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FLOYD V. RUTLEDGE. [Ls] *Witnesses SAM H. HUSBANK, R. K. RUTLEDGE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0. 

